The BlackBerry Priv: Top Five Things to Know Before Buying

At first glance, the BlackBerry Priv seems like the device that we've been asking for years - Android running on a BlackBerry. However, with so much competition out there, it's natural to have questions about how it will perform, its size, and whether it's worth considering in today's market.

As I began testing the Priv, I had a ton of questions running through my mind. How would it handle everyday tasks? Would it be too bulky or too thin? And most importantly, how would Android integrate with BlackBerry's unique features?

To help answer these questions and provide valuable insights for potential buyers, we've put together our top five things to know about the BlackBerry Priv.

**Number Five: The Curved Screen**

One of my favorite features of the Priv is its curved screen. I have to admit, when I first saw the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus with its curved display, I was impressed by how sleek and modern it looked. However, upon further use, I realized that the practicality of a curved screen wasn't as high as I thought. That being said, the Priv's curved screen is still quite useful.

You can customize which side of the information you want to see on the screen by simply swiping with your finger. This feature allows for easy access to your calendar, email, and other essential apps. The settings icon makes it simple to adjust these preferences, making this feature a welcome addition to the Priv's already impressive list of features.

While I don't think the curved screen is a game-changer in terms of functionality, it's still a nice touch that shows BlackBerry has put thought into the design and user experience.

**Number Four: Almost Stock Android**

BlackBerry's take on Google's OS is quite different from what we're used to with other Android devices. The tweaks are definitely in line with Android, but there's something missing - a sense of innovation and newness that comes from seeing a company try to shake things up.

I think this might be because BlackBerry didn't feel the need to make drastic changes to the UI, instead choosing to refine it and add some clever touches. The result is an interface that feels very much like Android, but with a more streamlined and polished aesthetic.

Of course, not everyone will appreciate the lack of change, especially those who are used to seeing new and exciting features from their Android devices. However, I think this approach allows BlackBerry to focus on what matters most - providing a solid, reliable experience for its users.

**Number Three: The Keyboards**

The keyboard is one of my favorite features of the Priv - hands down. I have to admit that going back to physical keyboards after years of using virtual ones was a bit disorienting at first, but once I got used to it, I found myself enjoying the tactile feedback and accuracy.

BlackBerry's on-screen keyboard is surprisingly good, with predictive text that's both accurate and helpful. The key is how you use the keyboard - rather than swiping left or right like you would on most Android devices, you can simply tap on a letter or word to complete your typing. This approach makes for incredibly fast and efficient input.

While it may take some getting used to, I think the keyboard is a major strength of the Priv and will appeal to those who value good typing experiences.

**Number Two: The Device's Size**

One thing that might surprise you about the Priv is its size - at just 9.4mm thin, it feels incredibly slim in your hand. That's smaller than many other Android devices on the market, and it's easy to see why BlackBerry decided to go with such a design.

The result is a device that feels surprisingly premium and high-quality, despite not having all of the flashier features found on more expensive smartphones. It's also worth noting that the Priv doesn't feel too bulky or chunky, making it a great choice for those who want a compact phone without sacrificing functionality.

**Number One: The Heat Issue**

Finally, there's one major issue that I think some buyers should be aware of - heat generation. While not everyone will experience this problem, the Priv does tend to get quite warm when you're using it, especially if you're engaging in resource-intensive activities like gaming or video streaming.

Now, before you start panicking about overheating smartphones, rest assured that the Priv is still perfectly safe to use and won't cause any damage. However, it's worth noting that the phone does need a little TLC to keep it running smoothly - try keeping it in a cool place, avoiding hot environments, or simply giving it a break from intense activity.

Overall, I think these issues are minor compared to the many strengths of the Priv and demonstrate just how much effort BlackBerry has put into creating a solid, reliable device.

I've been using the Priv for four days now and have been thoroughly enjoying it. There's still a few more days left before my full review is complete, but one thing is for sure - I'm excited to share my thoughts with you all once that time comes around.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enat least on paper the Blackberry priv is the device that we've been asking for for years it's Android running on a Blackberry but there's a lot of competition out there this is competing and expensive Waters uh so I had a lot of questions going into testing the priv I've been using it now for 4 days and we're still gearing up to our full review but I had a ton of questions how's it going to perform how's the size how's the slider how's Android all kinds of other things so before you guys figure out whether or not the priv is right for you I'm going try and help answer those questions I'm John rer from techno Buffalo these are the top five things to know before buying the Blackberry priv all right so let's start with number five the curv screen it's actually really useful I love the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus mostly because the curve screen looked awesome didn't add much in the utility department here though really useful you can pick which side of the information comes on do a simple swipe in you can customize all this information you can see your calendar you can jump into uh your mail I got something else set up in Blackberry Hub you'll see it all there set up tasks right from there and also jump into your contacts really easy relatively customizable through the little settings icon uh so finally a curved screen that actually provides utility nice to see Blackberry throw that in here number four this is almost stock Android uh blackberry's take on Google's OS seems way more like Cyanogen than TouchWiz meaning the tweaks are very much in the vein of Android didn't try and redo or rethink the UI at all a lot of really useful software tweaks Advanced interactions for example uh shortcuts Galore you can have a shortcut for almost anything you could do with your phone everything that blackberry's added here has a reason behind it they didn't throw throw the kitchen sink at you hoping you're going to use one of their features presumably you will use almost every feature that's here cuz every one of them seems to be really useful it is based on 5.1.1 lollipop but presumably marshmallow will be coming and blackberry said sometime next year number three the keyboards blackberry's onscreen keyboard is one of the best that I've ever used predictive text is really awesome and just been a pleasure to type on it's also surprisingly accurate but then this is the priv and it's Blackberry the story is All about that guy down there and yeah ke it to type it's sort of strange going back to a physical keyboard I found myself sliding it out quite a bit but not the type on it's really awesome as a trackpad you saw this on the passport but the key is you can use just to scroll through text a really nice easy elegant way to scroll through whatever you're doing that even take your finger and put up on the screen and perhaps you know cover content whatever you're looking at there's a really nice elegant way to to scroll through whatever you're looking at number two this device is really thin chances are it's been a while since you last used a slider phone so you might might think it's going to be a little chunky cuz it's got a keyboard under there right not at all 9.4 mm if you hand this phone to somebody who doesn't know what it is they'll just think it's any other candy bar phone very thin and the phone feels great in the hand and the number one thing you might not know about the Blackberry priv it gets very warm before everybody starts screaming about a Snapdragon A10 the 808 is in here so not sure if that's a culprit a lot of phones have been using it without any heat issues but the phone does get extremely warm no matter what you're doing whether you're watching an 8 hour video of a fireplace just browsing the web the phone gets warm it does cool off very quickly though so if you're using it put it in your pocket maybe just wave it around in the air to cool off for a second otherwise you're going to get a little Blackberry logo browned into your your thigh so there's a lot more to talk about about the Blackberry Pro if you couldn't tell I've really been enjoying it I'm still going to use it for a few more days before I do the full review if you're watching this though way later in the future hello future you we'll put a card here though once the video is live to check out the full review anything else you guys want to see to make sure we cover when we do that review leave in the comments down below until next time I'm John rer from TechnoBuffalo I'll see you guys next videoat least on paper the Blackberry priv is the device that we've been asking for for years it's Android running on a Blackberry but there's a lot of competition out there this is competing and expensive Waters uh so I had a lot of questions going into testing the priv I've been using it now for 4 days and we're still gearing up to our full review but I had a ton of questions how's it going to perform how's the size how's the slider how's Android all kinds of other things so before you guys figure out whether or not the priv is right for you I'm going try and help answer those questions I'm John rer from techno Buffalo these are the top five things to know before buying the Blackberry priv all right so let's start with number five the curv screen it's actually really useful I love the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus mostly because the curve screen looked awesome didn't add much in the utility department here though really useful you can pick which side of the information comes on do a simple swipe in you can customize all this information you can see your calendar you can jump into uh your mail I got something else set up in Blackberry Hub you'll see it all there set up tasks right from there and also jump into your contacts really easy relatively customizable through the little settings icon uh so finally a curved screen that actually provides utility nice to see Blackberry throw that in here number four this is almost stock Android uh blackberry's take on Google's OS seems way more like Cyanogen than TouchWiz meaning the tweaks are very much in the vein of Android didn't try and redo or rethink the UI at all a lot of really useful software tweaks Advanced interactions for example uh shortcuts Galore you can have a shortcut for almost anything you could do with your phone everything that blackberry's added here has a reason behind it they didn't throw throw the kitchen sink at you hoping you're going to use one of their features presumably you will use almost every feature that's here cuz every one of them seems to be really useful it is based on 5.1.1 lollipop but presumably marshmallow will be coming and blackberry said sometime next year number three the keyboards blackberry's onscreen keyboard is one of the best that I've ever used predictive text is really awesome and just been a pleasure to type on it's also surprisingly accurate but then this is the priv and it's Blackberry the story is All about that guy down there and yeah ke it to type it's sort of strange going back to a physical keyboard I found myself sliding it out quite a bit but not the type on it's really awesome as a trackpad you saw this on the passport but the key is you can use just to scroll through text a really nice easy elegant way to scroll through whatever you're doing that even take your finger and put up on the screen and perhaps you know cover content whatever you're looking at there's a really nice elegant way to to scroll through whatever you're looking at number two this device is really thin chances are it's been a while since you last used a slider phone so you might might think it's going to be a little chunky cuz it's got a keyboard under there right not at all 9.4 mm if you hand this phone to somebody who doesn't know what it is they'll just think it's any other candy bar phone very thin and the phone feels great in the hand and the number one thing you might not know about the Blackberry priv it gets very warm before everybody starts screaming about a Snapdragon A10 the 808 is in here so not sure if that's a culprit a lot of phones have been using it without any heat issues but the phone does get extremely warm no matter what you're doing whether you're watching an 8 hour video of a fireplace just browsing the web the phone gets warm it does cool off very quickly though so if you're using it put it in your pocket maybe just wave it around in the air to cool off for a second otherwise you're going to get a little Blackberry logo browned into your your thigh so there's a lot more to talk about about the Blackberry Pro if you couldn't tell I've really been enjoying it I'm still going to use it for a few more days before I do the full review if you're watching this though way later in the future hello future you we'll put a card here though once the video is live to check out the full review anything else you guys want to see to make sure we cover when we do that review leave in the comments down below until next time I'm John rer from TechnoBuffalo I'll see you guys next video\n"